Kia records best-ever Q3 European sales

To the end of September, Kia’s European sales have grown to 337,595 units (EU and EFTA region). This represents sales growth of 14.4% compared to the same nine-month period in 2015, during which Kia registered 295,140 vehicles.ETAuto | October 22, 2016, 19:11 IST

To the end of September, Kia’s European sales have grown to 337,595 units (EU and EFTA region). This represents sales growth of 14.4 percent compared to the same nine-month period in 2015, during which Kia registered 295,140 vehicles.

Sales growth this year has raised Kia’s market share to 2.9 percent, up from 2.7 percent in 2015.

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Europe, commented “In 2016 we have taken Kia into new market segments while strengthening our position in others. Each new model is contributing to increased sales and growing our share of the European market. We revised our annual sales growth forecast earlier this year from nine to 12 per cent for the full year, and Kia remains on course to achieve a three per cent market share in the medium term.”

The new Sportage sold 110,358 units so far this year across Europe (35.7 percent year-on-year).

In addition to the Sportage, Kia’s latest new model – the Niro hybrid crossover – is proving an early sales success. Since Niro customer deliveries began in the summer, nearly 5,000 vehicles have been delivered to European buyers up to mid-October. Orders have been placed for an additional 15,000 vehicles, due to be delivered to customers by the end of this year, said the company.

The Kia Optima range was expanded this summer with new Sportswagon, Plug-in Hybrid and high-performance GT derivatives, with the new models contributing to a 180.5 percent year-on-year sales increase compared to Optima sales in the same period in 2015. 6,193 units have been sold so far in 2016, with the new Sportswagon accounting for almost two-thirds (63.9 percent) of all Optima sales in September, the first full month the derivative has been on sale.